Monorail train



Nov. 26, 1968 A. B. HAWES 3,412,689

MONORAIL TRAIN Filed Feb. 11, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. '44 4N 5. HAWEs,

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A. B. HAWES MONORAIL TRAIN 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 11, 1966 w. b m W w\|u m e 2 R W M m RI. I 7 L 1 H 4 HUN HH NMHH U MMHUI a #Y A R t 5 N A a Nov. 26, 1968 A. B. HAWES 3,412,689

MONORAIL TRAIN Filed Feb. 11, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 [Ill/III IAVQE 40 'I III.

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United States Patent "ice 3,412,689 MONORAIL TRAIN Alan B. Hawes, 3504 Seaview Ave., Wildwood Crest, NJ. 08260 Filed Feb. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 526,864 4 Claims. (Cl. 104-118) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A train for use on a monorail including a coach carrying a truck having drive wheels in rolling engagement with the monorail, electric power means on said monorail, means drivingly connecting the drive wheels to said electric power means and including an electric motor, a pump connected to said motor, a hydraulic motor operatively connected to said pump, and a clutch operatively connected to said electric motor, said hydraulic motor and to said drive wheels, jet propulsion power means mounted on said coach, magnetic brake means carried by said truck and adapted to engage the monorail, a first selective control means operatively connected to said electric power means and electrically connected to said clutch for propelling the coach by electric power, a second selective control means operatively connected to said jet propulsion means for propelling said coach by jet power, and a third selective control means operatively connected to said brake means for reducing the rate of propulsion of said coach to a point which will enable actuation of said first control means and propulsion of said coach by electric power.

This invention relates to a monorail train.

An object of the present invention resides in the provision of a monorail train which is capable of being propelled at the speed of a conventional train, and at a speed greater than that of the conventional train.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a monorail train which is capable of being propelled at the speed of the conventional train by electric power, and at a speed greater than that of the conventional train by jet power.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a monorail train which is capable of being propelled from a standing start at the speed of the conventional train by electric power and at a speed greater than that of the conventional train by jet power while the monorail train is being propelled under electric power, and which is capable, While being propelled at a speed greater than that of the conventional train, of being restored to propulsion by electric power.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a monorail train according to the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a front end view of the train of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the monorail train of FIGURE 1, with parts broken away to show internal structure.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 7 is a graphic illustration of the operating components of the monorail train according to the present invention.

3,412,689 Patented Nov. 26, 1968 FIGURE 8 is a partial perspective view of a modification of the monorail train according to the present invention.

FIGURE 9 is a front end view of the train of FIG- URE 8.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10, FIGURE 1, designates a monorail train, the train including a coach 12 which is mounted for travel along an elevated monorail 14 supported atop a plurality of longitudinallyaligned posts 16. The monorail 14, FIGURES 2 and 4, is provided with a vertical surface 15 and a horizontal surface 13 provided with spaced hollow tracks 17 disposed on opposite sides of the vertical surface 15.

The coach 12, FIGURE 3, carries a first truck 20 inwardly of and adjacent the rear end, the truck 20 having a pair of drive wheels 22 which are in drivingengagement with the hollow tracks 17, and longitudinallyspaced pairs of horizontal guide wheels 18 which are contiguous to and at times reliably-engage the opposite faces of the vertical surface 15 of the monorail 14. The truck 20 also carries a pair of support wheels 24 which are disposed forwardly of the drive wheels 22 and are in free rolling engagement with the hollow tracks 17. Disposed between the rear end of the coach 12 and the truck 20 is a second truck 25 which is also carried by the coach 12, the truck 25 being provided with a pair of support wheels 26 which are in free rolling engagement with the hollow tracks 17 and with longitudinallyspaced pairs of horizontal guide wheels 27 which are contiguous to and at times rollably-engage the opposite faces of the vertical surface 15 of the monorail 14. Adjacent to and spaced inwardly from the forward end of the coach 12 is a third truck 28 which is also carried by the coach 12, the truck 28 being provided with longitudinally-spaced pairs of support wheels 30 and 31 which are in free rolling engagement with the hollow tracks 17, and with longitudinally-spaced pairs of horizontal guide wheels 29 which are contiguous to and at times rollably-engage the opposite faces of the vertical surface 15 of the monorail 14.

The truck 20, FIGURE 5, carries a magnetic brake means 32, the means 32 including a spring-biased vertically-movable shoe 34. The shoe 34 is normally spaced above and is out of contacting engagement with the flanges 33 atop the vertical surface 15 of the monorail 14. The shoe 34 is provided with a plurality of electromagnets 35. With the energization of the magnets 35 the shoe 34 descends against the action of the spaced coil springs 36 into contacting engagement with the flanges 33. De-energization of the magnets 35 permits the shoe 34 to return to the normal position under the action of the springs 36.

The coach 12, FIGURE 1, is provided with a single jet ejecting tube 40 which is a part of the jet propulsion means to be subsequently described, the tube being disposed in longitudinal spaced relation about and secured -to the exterior of the coach 12. As shown in FIGURE 1, the tube 40 is atop the coach 12. By reference to FIG- URES 8 and 9, it will be seen that the coach 12 is provided with three jet ejecting tubes 40, one of the tubes 40' being atop the coach and the other two tubes 40 being disposed at the sides of the coach 12.

The coach 12, FIGURE 1, carries an operating system which includes an electric power means, a jet propulsion means, and a magnetic brake means. This system is diagrammatically illustrated in FIGURE 7, and comprises" a main motor 50 which is electrically-connected to a control box 51 and to a clutch 53 by means of a pair of conductors 52. A hydraulic pump 54 is drivinglyconnected to the main motor 50, as indicated by the dash line 55, and the pump 54 is drivingly-connected to a hydraulic motor 56 by a pair of hoses 57. The hydraulic motor 56 is drivingly-connected to the clutch 53, as indicated by the dash line 58, the clutch 53 being drivinglyconnected to one of the drive Wheels 22 of the first truck 20, as indicated by the dash line 59.

The numeral 60, FIGURE 7, indicates the electric power source which is electrically-connected through a pair of conductors 62 to the control box 51.

The system, as shown in FIGURE 7, also includes a jet propulsion means, such means including an electric motor 63 which is drivingly-connected to a pump 64, as indicated by the dash line 65, the motor 63 being electrically-connected to the control box 51 by means of conductors 66. The conductors 66 are electricallyconnected to a solenoid valve 67 which is connected to a fuel line 68 leading into a fuel tank 69. The valve 67 is connected to a filter 70 by means of a fuel line 71, the filter being connected to the pump 64 by means of fuel line 72. The pump 64 is connected to the jet ejecting tube 40 by means of fuel line 73. The tube 40 has an igniting means, not shown, the igniting means being electrically-connected to the control box 51 by a pair of conductors 74. The tubes 40 each has an igniting means, not shown, and such igniting means is electricallyconnected to the control box 51 by conductors, also not shown.

The system, FIGURE 7, also includes a magnetic brake means 32 which is electrically-connected to the control box 51 by means of a pair of conductors 75.

It is to be noted that the power source 60, and the pair of conductors 62 connecting the power source to the control box 51 constitute a first selective control means operatively-connected to the electric power means for propelling the coach 12 by electric power.

The main motor 50 connected to the control box 51 and to the clutch 53; the hydraulic pump 54 connected to the main motor 50, the hydraulic pump 54 being drivingly-connected to the hydraulic motor 56 and the clutch 53, and the clutch 53 being drivingly-connected to one of the drive wheels 20, constitutes the means drivingly-connecting the drive Wheels 22 to, the electric power means.

The electric motor 63 drivingly-connected to the pump 64, to the control box 51, and to the solenoid valve 67 by the conductors 66; the pump 64 connected to the jet ejecting tube 40, to the filter 70, to the solenoid valve 67, and to the fuel tank 69; the solenoid valve 67 and the electric motor 63 electrically-connected to the control box 51 by means of the conductors 66; and the electrical connection of the ignition or igniting means in the tube 40 to the control box 51 by the conductors 74; constitute a second selective control means operatively-connected to the jet propulsion means for propellin the coach 12 by jet power.

The magnetic brake means 32 which is electricallyconnected to the control box 51 by means of the conductors 75 constitutes a third selective control means operatively-connected to the brake means for reducing the rate of propulsion of the coach 12 to the point which will permit actuation of the first control means and propulsion of the coach by electric power.

In operation, with the monorail train 10 standing still, the operator sitting in the forepart of the coach 12 actuates the first selective control means, resulting in the propelling of the coach 12 along the monorail 14 by electric power at a maximum speed of about SO-miles per hour, the speed of the conventional train. When it is desired to increase the speed of propulsion of the coach 12, the operator de-activates the first selective control means followed by actuation of the second selective control means, resulting in the propelling of the coach 12 along the monorail 14 by jet power at a maximum speed of about ISO-miles per hour, the speed greater than that of the conventional train.

Should it be desired to propel the coach 12 at the speed of the conventional train by electric power, the second selective means is de-activated followed by activation of the magnetic brake means 32, or third selective control means. This activation of the magnetic brake means 32 is prolonged by the operator until the speed of propulsion of the coach 12 has been reduced to below the maximum speed of SO-miles per hour, whereupon the first selective control means is actuated by the operator, restoring the coach 12 to propulsion solely by electric power.

What is claimed is:

1. A monorail train comprising a monorail, a coach mounted on said monorail for travel therealong, said coach carrying a truck having a pair of drive Wheels in driving rolling engagement with said monorail, electric power means on said monorail, means drivingly connecting said drive wheels to said electric power means and including an electric motor, a pump connected to said motor, a hydraulic motor operatively connected to said pump, and a clutch operatively connected to said electric motor, said hydraulic motor and to said drive wheels, jet propulsion power means carried by said coach, magnetic brake means carried by said truck and adapted to engage said monorail, a first selective control means operatively connected to said electrical power means and electrically connected to said clutch for propelling said coach by electric power, a second selective control means operatively connected to said jet propulsion means for propelling said coach by jet power, and a third selective control means operatively connected to said brake means for reducing the rate of propulsion of said coach to a point which will permit actuation of said first control means and propulsion of said coach by electric power.

2. The monorail train according to claim 1, wherein said jet propulsion power means comprises a jet ejecting tube disposed in longitudinal relation about and secured to the exterior of said coach.

3. The monorail train according to claim 2, which includes in addition a pump operatively-connected to said ejecting tube, a source of fuel, a line connecting said fuel source to said pump, and a magnetic valve in said line, and wherein said second control means is electricallyconnected to said valve.

4. The monorail train according to claim 3, which includes in addition a filter disposed in said line between said valve and pump.

References Cited ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD A. BERTSCH, Assistant Examiner. 

